For the love of all that is ramen this place is a damn gem. First it’s in a strip mall and looks like a dump from the outside but do not and I mean this do not let this fool you. The inside is just fine.The staff was fast and polite not a lot of time for chitchat they were busy cause this place filled up and fast.The food is honestly some of the best ramen I have ever had. I have been to Japan and I have had my share there. The ramen is wonderful and worth the drive in to try. Do not let the look on the outside scare you away they probably have to do this to keep this place what it is. One of the best ramen places I’ve been to.Bottom line go and go early and go hungry.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 3
Stefanie Ruiz
Love going here! Never disappoints ?. We love that we can do take out from them now.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Diane L.
Wasn't sure what to expect since this place is called santa, but it was pretty good! The broth was flavorful and i liked that you could choose from 5-6 options for each type of ramen. The menu was simple (4 main offerings for ramen, and other appetizers/small plates/drinks). You also choose your level of spice. The noodles had a nice bite and there was plenty, though you can't tell from the photo, but i assure you it's below the soup! Docked a star for the egg not being soft boiled and the meat was really fatty. Not too hard to find a parking spot since there's a parking lot. I would come again to try the other types of ramen!
Lindsey J.
I haven't been here in a long time but when the rains came, it was ramen time. This place has always been my go-to ramen place but after this last time, I will be taking a hiatus for a min and here is why: * Arrived a little after 11 and a few ppl were already seated. Normally, since it's just me, they would say I can sit anywhere. This time, I am waiting for a waitress to acknowledge me and to let me know where to sit. I noticed only 1 waitress is available, when normally they have 2-3 waitresses running around. Not a good start. * Finally get seated and I already know what I want but glance at the menu anyways. I'm waiting a few mins and go on my phone since this wasn't happening soon. She finally comes over, takes my order and off she goes. * The ramen I received was NOT how I remembered it. The broth was VERY salty; I had to add water which I've never had to do before. * The pork cheek was very underdone and didn't pull at all. I didn't bother w that. * In the middle of the room was a big table w a few parents and lots of kids running around being very loud & disruptive. Even w my ear phones in listening to YouTube, I could still hear them. Not happy. * I'm waiting for my $25 bill which was SO not worth it but I'm ready to go. I'm clearly done but had to wait and wave down the waitress to get my check. I throw down cash and I'm outta there, never to return or at least in a long time. W all the other ramen and good Japanese places in the Bay Area, I would recommend anywhere but here...
Jake Kissner
my favorite ramen spot in the Bay ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Boiled Soy Beans Edamame, Santa Ramen, Miso Ramen
Doug O.
Got there at 6:45pm. Got a table right away. Wasn't too busy. Then the other tables started filling up. By 7:10 we still hadn't gotten our food. I noticed other tables that were seated well after me were getting their food. So I flagged down a waitress and asked her where my food is. She said it's coming. At 7:45pm I still didn't have any food and the waitress just kept saying it was coming. At that point we just left.
Monica V.
Definitely recommend if you're in the mood for ramen noodles. Everyone is pleasant and the service is great.
Allen Y.
I think the Ramen** is extremely flavorful and portions are excellent. I always opt for the Cheek Meat or Stewed Pork Belly upgrade -- great value for the money -- with the Garlic Pork soup. The Kaarage is extremely good as well, crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside -- sometimes it comes out so fresh that you have to cut a hole in the skin to let the steam out. **Note that I'm born in United States, so I do prefer a richer/saltier ramen soup, while I've herad some people prefer Ramen Dojo or Ramen Parlor because it's more bland. Service very good, and has improved over the years (more staff).
Joanna S.
Every dish was very good. DH really liked the chicken teriyaki bento. Service is still the weak point. Seems like they forgot our order. People who ordered after us were served long before us. DH finally complained.
Dexter D.
I hadn't been to Santa Ramen in years. Partially because it's so far out of the way. Partially because when we've been near, we didn't have time to wait for a table. Today, my mom and I were close, and it was just after opening so we thought we might be able to get in relatively quickly. Well, we got in anyway. The restaurant was full and there were two tables ahead of us. We had to wait about ten minutes and were then seated at a two-top. The menu is small so the ordering process is simple. I placed the order for us. Two bowls of Santa Ramen with Yokohama Soup (blend of Pork & Miso). One order of Deep Fried Oysters. A very simple lunch. Service was very efficient. There only appeared to be two servers working the dining room. Watching them work was like watching a well synchronized dance. No motions were wasted. Every time they delivered an order to a table, on the return, they took something back to the kitchen, whether it be a new order or dishes cleared from a table. Deep Fried Oysters - 5 - The Oysters are small, but they were beautifully battered and fried. They were accompanied by a small salad, a smudge of hot mustard, lemon wedge and dipping sauce. Santa Ramen - 5 - A small, simple bowl of ramen with all the necessary parts. One thick slice of the most delectable pork, 1/2 a boiled egg, oh, just look at the menu. Then go order yourself a bowl and enjoy life!
My gf introduced to me this ramen spot and let me tell you.. if you want to beat the lines at other ramen spots around the area and enjoy a solid bowl of ramen, I'd recommend Santa Ramen. The staff is super friendly and they're always around if you ever need anything. I usually get the yokohama soup base, which to me is a lot creamier than the rest of the broth they provide here. Give this place a shot!
D. T.
Ordered the Garlic Pork (tonkatsu) Ramen to-go for lunch. The pickup was quick and convenient, just make sure you go to the back counter for pickups. The amount of noodles, soup, and vegetables was significant. There were two thin slices of chashu and quarter of an egg which was a standard hard boiled egg, which didn't have the nice custardy yolk. The biggest issue was the strong ammonia taste of the noodles, too much residual alkaline in the noodles and/or cooking water is my guess. Wasn't able to finish the noodles and soup because of it.
Kat L.
Yummy and great service The fried oysters and chicken karaage was very crispy and the ramen was delicious and filling.
Roy C.
The pork soup is greasy as it has always been, which is good. But the soup is still on a bit of salty side. I know in Japan ramen is always saltier. But the soy soup my wife had is too salty. And I believe they change the vendor of ramen. Not as good. The only reason I gave it a 4 stars in stead of 3 is because of the Karaage is still one of the best.
Ka Yan Leung
Ramen was ok but very low effort appetizers. Cold tofu only came with soy sauce, and no seasoning in edamame.
For the love of all that is ramen this place is a damn gem. First it’s in a strip mall and looks like a dump from the outside but do not and I mean this do not let this fool you. The inside is just fine.The staff was fast and polite not a lot of time for chitchat they were busy cause this place filled up and fast.The food is honestly some of the best ramen I have ever had. I have been to Japan and I have had my share there. The ramen is wonderful and worth the drive in to try. Do not let the look on the outside scare you away they probably have to do this to keep this place what it is. One of the best ramen places I’ve been to.Bottom line go and go early and go hungry.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 3
Love going here! Never disappoints ?. We love that we can do take out from them now.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Wasn't sure what to expect since this place is called santa, but it was pretty good! The broth was flavorful and i liked that you could choose from 5-6 options for each type of ramen. The menu was simple (4 main offerings for ramen, and other appetizers/small plates/drinks). You also choose your level of spice. The noodles had a nice bite and there was plenty, though you can't tell from the photo, but i assure you it's below the soup! Docked a star for the egg not being soft boiled and the meat was really fatty. Not too hard to find a parking spot since there's a parking lot. I would come again to try the other types of ramen!
I haven't been here in a long time but when the rains came, it was ramen time. This place has always been my go-to ramen place but after this last time, I will be taking a hiatus for a min and here is why: * Arrived a little after 11 and a few ppl were already seated. Normally, since it's just me, they would say I can sit anywhere. This time, I am waiting for a waitress to acknowledge me and to let me know where to sit. I noticed only 1 waitress is available, when normally they have 2-3 waitresses running around. Not a good start. * Finally get seated and I already know what I want but glance at the menu anyways. I'm waiting a few mins and go on my phone since this wasn't happening soon. She finally comes over, takes my order and off she goes. * The ramen I received was NOT how I remembered it. The broth was VERY salty; I had to add water which I've never had to do before. * The pork cheek was very underdone and didn't pull at all. I didn't bother w that. * In the middle of the room was a big table w a few parents and lots of kids running around being very loud & disruptive. Even w my ear phones in listening to YouTube, I could still hear them. Not happy. * I'm waiting for my $25 bill which was SO not worth it but I'm ready to go. I'm clearly done but had to wait and wave down the waitress to get my check. I throw down cash and I'm outta there, never to return or at least in a long time. W all the other ramen and good Japanese places in the Bay Area, I would recommend anywhere but here...
my favorite ramen spot in the Bay ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Boiled Soy Beans Edamame, Santa Ramen, Miso Ramen
Got there at 6:45pm. Got a table right away. Wasn't too busy. Then the other tables started filling up. By 7:10 we still hadn't gotten our food. I noticed other tables that were seated well after me were getting their food. So I flagged down a waitress and asked her where my food is. She said it's coming. At 7:45pm I still didn't have any food and the waitress just kept saying it was coming. At that point we just left.
Definitely recommend if you're in the mood for ramen noodles. Everyone is pleasant and the service is great.
I think the Ramen** is extremely flavorful and portions are excellent. I always opt for the Cheek Meat or Stewed Pork Belly upgrade -- great value for the money -- with the Garlic Pork soup. The Kaarage is extremely good as well, crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside -- sometimes it comes out so fresh that you have to cut a hole in the skin to let the steam out. **Note that I'm born in United States, so I do prefer a richer/saltier ramen soup, while I've herad some people prefer Ramen Dojo or Ramen Parlor because it's more bland. Service very good, and has improved over the years (more staff).
Every dish was very good. DH really liked the chicken teriyaki bento. Service is still the weak point. Seems like they forgot our order. People who ordered after us were served long before us. DH finally complained.
I hadn't been to Santa Ramen in years. Partially because it's so far out of the way. Partially because when we've been near, we didn't have time to wait for a table. Today, my mom and I were close, and it was just after opening so we thought we might be able to get in relatively quickly. Well, we got in anyway. The restaurant was full and there were two tables ahead of us. We had to wait about ten minutes and were then seated at a two-top. The menu is small so the ordering process is simple. I placed the order for us. Two bowls of Santa Ramen with Yokohama Soup (blend of Pork & Miso). One order of Deep Fried Oysters. A very simple lunch. Service was very efficient. There only appeared to be two servers working the dining room. Watching them work was like watching a well synchronized dance. No motions were wasted. Every time they delivered an order to a table, on the return, they took something back to the kitchen, whether it be a new order or dishes cleared from a table. Deep Fried Oysters - 5 - The Oysters are small, but they were beautifully battered and fried. They were accompanied by a small salad, a smudge of hot mustard, lemon wedge and dipping sauce. Santa Ramen - 5 - A small, simple bowl of ramen with all the necessary parts. One thick slice of the most delectable pork, 1/2 a boiled egg, oh, just look at the menu. Then go order yourself a bowl and enjoy life!
Restaurantji Recommends
My gf introduced to me this ramen spot and let me tell you.. if you want to beat the lines at other ramen spots around the area and enjoy a solid bowl of ramen, I'd recommend Santa Ramen. The staff is super friendly and they're always around if you ever need anything. I usually get the yokohama soup base, which to me is a lot creamier than the rest of the broth they provide here. Give this place a shot!
Ordered the Garlic Pork (tonkatsu) Ramen to-go for lunch. The pickup was quick and convenient, just make sure you go to the back counter for pickups. The amount of noodles, soup, and vegetables was significant. There were two thin slices of chashu and quarter of an egg which was a standard hard boiled egg, which didn't have the nice custardy yolk. The biggest issue was the strong ammonia taste of the noodles, too much residual alkaline in the noodles and/or cooking water is my guess. Wasn't able to finish the noodles and soup because of it.
Yummy and great service The fried oysters and chicken karaage was very crispy and the ramen was delicious and filling.
The pork soup is greasy as it has always been, which is good. But the soup is still on a bit of salty side. I know in Japan ramen is always saltier. But the soy soup my wife had is too salty. And I believe they change the vendor of ramen. Not as good. The only reason I gave it a 4 stars in stead of 3 is because of the Karaage is still one of the best.
Ramen was ok but very low effort appetizers. Cold tofu only came with soy sauce, and no seasoning in edamame.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 4